The ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz while using a route not authorized by Iran, state television in Tehran reported on Wednesday. The ship was identified as a foreign container ship, with no further details.
The report appeared to be aimed at underscoring Tehran’s claim to control the strait, which the world has long viewed as an international waterway. A fifth of all oil and natural gas flowed through it during peacetime.
Since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, Iran has used its power to cut off the waterway as a major source of leverage, disrupting global markets for energy and other essential commodities.
The television report came when the US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, were in Doha, Qatar, for talks to end the war. Iran’s chief negotiator, Kazem Gharibabadi, traveled to Qatar with the team as well.
Technical talks between diplomats began in Qatar on Wednesday, said two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions.
Mediators are aiming to set specific conditions to pave the way for senior leaders to seal the deal, although differences over the Mediterranean Sea and Lebanon loom large.
